Heart of Stone
by Irishlassie101
Summary: The final battle is won, Voldemort is dead. But somebody has been missing and the search has taken it´s toll.
1. Dungeon of Horror

**Chapter 1 – Dungeon of Horror**

Fifty times the whip hit her back…fifty times she bit her tongue to prevent herself from screaming, because otherwise he would start all over again.

Fifty hits…that was part of the daily ritual, but it was not the worst. What followed was not only painful but disgusting, after whipping her back until her blood oozed all over the floor he took her on a table, he took her as if she was his property, and his property she was.

His property, his slave, his toy, for two years now, since the day Harry Potter faced Voldemort in the final battle, since that very day.

He had captured her, without anybody noticing, and when they discovered that she was gone it was too late, he had reached his hiding place and hadn´t left it since.

Nobody knew who he was, nobody had a clue, and anyway, they all thought he was dead anyway.

He loved seeing her agony, her pain, the signs of abuse, neglect, torture and humiliation, she was paying for what that cursed Harry Potter had done, she would pay, every day of her life, and a long life it would be.

"Do you really think he would still remembers you" he shouted at her and laughed, "do you think he still would waste a thought about you, you little whore, do you really think so ? He is dead, dead any buried, like the rest of your family, except for you, my love, and you will live, you will live and suffer and…"

He never finished his sentence. The door to his "toy room" as he called it exploded, shedding him with wood and metal fragments. He leaped for his wand, but before he reached it he saw a figure in the clouds of dust and was thrown off his feet by a stupor spell. He crashed into the wall behind him, braking several bones, but amazingly he stayed conscious.

"Seize him and be careful, he is tricky and dangerous and won´t give up without a fight" he heard a female voice shout, a voice that sounded strangely familiar.

Strong arms hauled him upright, and then, despite his blurred view, he saw a face close to his, and recognized it instantly.

"Mudblood" he croaked and started to laugh "filthy mudblood".

"I found you at last…I…Hermione Granger…mudblood…filth…unworthy…finally found the great pureblood wizard in his hiding hole" she laughed back at him but her laughter died instantly when she heard one of the witches who tended the girl that was lying on the floor shout "OMG…look…I don´t believe it…"

She turned away and wanted to rush over, but her way was blocked by a witch with a face as white as freshly fallen snow that contrasted with her bright orange hair.

"What…Tonks…what are you doing" Hermione said and looked at the woman, confusion showing on her face.

"Hermione…don´t…she"

"Is she dead ?"

"She…she…is…we…"

Hermione pushed Tonks out of the way and when she reached the girl that had obviously been tortured repeatedly and saw her face…her blood froze…her brain was not able to process what she saw.

Laughter brought her back into reality, laughter from behind her, laughter from the prisoner they had taken.

"You bastard" Hermione yelled at the top of her voice, making the people around her jump, "Malfoy you bastard" she yelled and his laughter was instantly silenced when her boot made contact with his sex.

She stumbled back to the girl that had been lifted onto a stretcher and started to cry uncontrollably. She just fell on her knees and cried, cried and screamed until a young wizard just picked her up and carried her out of this horror, out of a dungeon that had been concealed so well that it remained hidden for two years, and was only found by pure coincidence.

"Take him to Phoenix headquarters and make sure he is guarded well" Tonks finally she said to the four men surrounding Draco Malfoy, "I´ll have to contact Arthur at once, OMG, how on earth will I explain that, how on earth can I tell him that now, after two years, we found Ginny…alive."


	2. Delusions

**Chapter 2 – Delusions**

She drifted out of her sleep and as soon as she heard a sound she curled up in a fetal position.

She knew what would happen now, he was going to beat her…with a whip, his boots, a bat, anything he could lay his hand on. She was shaking with terror and fear…

"No…please…I will obey…Master I will obey…I will do anything…Master…please" she whimpered with her eyes closed, but there was no pain, no laughter, instead she heard a voice, a different voice, a warm, caring friendly voice "Shhhh, shhhhh, it´s alright, everything is alright, don´t be afraid, you´re safe now, shhhhhh"

"Call the doctor" she heard another voice, and again it wasn´t HIS voice, "she´s awake"

_It´s a trick…I know it´s a trick_ …_Master is playing a trick on me…he let´s me think that they found me, le let´s me think that I am safe…and then…then he will hurt me again…and laugh…and…and_

"OMG" another voice shouted suddenly, and she curled up even tighter, "OMG…I…I…"

_I know this voice…Master is tricking me…he uses different voices_

"Ginny…Ginny…it´s me…it´s it´s your m…mother" Molly Weasley stammered as she approached the bed her daughter was lying in, "Ginny…"

Her voice failed her, she would have collapsed if her husband haden´t held her with an iron grip around her waste, because that´s all he could do right now.

When Ginny disappeared two years ago, and after searching for months and months they had to accept the fact that she was probably dead, and that they would never find her body.

When Tonks came to the Burrows two nights ago, with a face white as snow and trembling all over he broke down in the kitchen, before she could say a word he knew it…they had found the remains of his daughter.

His wife, who came down to hunt away any messenger from the ministry with yet again a "really important message" saw her husband, saw Tonks and just started screaming.

Fortunately the young witch had brought not only two of her colleagues she trusted completely, but also two med-wizards, and it took 3 people to sedate the raving woman.

And as soon as the Weasleys were over the first shock came the second blow, when Tonks finally had enough courage to tell them that she was not dead but alive, and that Draco Malfoy had held her captive for two years…they both had to be stunned before they could hurt somebody…or themselves.

"Ginny…darling…it´s mum…it´s me…darling…open your eyes"

"No…don´t hurt me Master…don´t hurt me…please" was all the young girl was saying…over and over again.

Her mother sat down on her bed and touched her arm slightly and she curled up even more

_Now he´s going to hurt me…I know it…maybe he´ll kill me this time…maybe he´ll kill me_

"Ginny…Ginny…GINNY"

Her eyes snapped open. Her vision was blurred and her whole body shook in terror but she was going to face the voice, she was going to face HIM…

She saw his face…no…that was not HIS face, this was a different face, and a different voice.

She stretched out her hand and touched the face…it was soft and warm and…wet…she could feel tears...

She shook her head and when she looked again she saw…

"Mummy" she croacked, "Mummy ? Mummy ? Mummy !" and fainted.

The next time she gained consciousness she curled up as usual, just as she had done for so long, and waited for the pain to start.

"It´s was only a dream…mummy was only a dream" she murmured and tears trickled down her face, "just a dream"

And then again she heard her mother´s voice call her name, and this time she decided that it must end.

She jumped up, eyes wide open and shouted "Kill me…kill me you bastard…kill me" and when here eyes focused her voice suddenly failed her.

She saw…her mother

"It can´t be, he told me you are dead, all of you, it can´t be" and reached out to touch the illusion, to make it disappear.

But it didn´t, it remained where it was, she touched her mothers face and finally…finally her tormented mind allowed her to realize what had happened

_Can it be..can this be real…did they find me…did they really find me…he lied to me…he lied to me…they are alive…can it really be_

Hesitating she moved closer to her mother…_is that really mummy…can it be…if HE tricked me again…can it be…_and slowly put her arms around her.

And within the fraction of a second Ginny realized that this was no illusion and with a moan that echoed the horror and agony of two years of captivity she started crying, only this time it was out of pure joy.

She cried hanging on to her mother and her tears were mingled with Molly´s, hour after hour they sat there crying until they fell asleep in each others arms.


	3. Reunion

**Chapter 3 – Reunion**

It took Ginny Weasley a few more days to fully understand that her nightmare was over. By then, all the members of her family and many friends had come to visit her. Only Harry and Ron had yet to show up.

"For the past two years they have been searching for you, nearly every day. They overturn every stone, we never know when they'll come back" Hermione tried to explain why her brother and the man she loved hadn't yet visited her, "But they can't be long; they never stay away more than a month!"

"Are you and Ron still… still…"

"Together?" Hermione finished the question and her face saddened. "Well yes, kind of, somehow."

"What happened?"

"Well, he changed - they both did - after you…were missing, and, well, Ron hasn't been home for much of these two years and…well…"

"I'm sorry," she heard Ginny whisper, and the face she wore made Hermione's heart break. "I'm sorry" she whispered again, tears flowing. "I ruined your love…I ruined it…I ruined it!"

It took Hermione several hours to calm the girl she loved, the girl she considered her sister, the girl that had lived through a hell that she couldn't even imagine.

And Hermione was also the unfortunate witness when, some days later, Ginny suddenly started to talk about her ordeal: about the pain, agony and abuse. Hermione knew she would never forget the turmoil of feelings that she felt that night, never as long as she lived. The fright and horror that showed on Ginny's face lingered in Hermione's soul, and for the rest of her life there were only a few occasions when she found the courage to talk about what she'd heard.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Two weeks after Ginny was rescued, Ron and Harry returned to the Phoenix Headquarters from their most recent search. Hermione was overjoyed when the man she still loved came through the door of their apartment. He was thin and miserable looking, his clothes little more than rags.

"No sign of her…no sign…no damn sign" her muttered when she flung herself at him, kissing him, crying, happy that he was unharmed.

She waited until he'd showered and eaten before she finally decided to speak.

"Ron…Ron…RONALD!"

"What do you want?"

"I…"

"What?"

"I have to talk to you."

"Make it fast; Harry and I have another location to check, and we have to do some research."

"Ron…I have to tell you something important."

"What is it?" He shouted back at her in his frustration, but when he saw that she was crying, his anger dissolved. "Love, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so…so…rude…but we have to get on with our search."

"Ron," She took a deep breath. "Ron, I have a confession to make to you." He inhaled sharply.

"What did you do?" His voice was angry once again.

"I…I went on a mission with Tonks."

"What!" he yelled at her. "What! You promised me that you would not put yourself in any danger, you promised it, I´ll kill her for letting you go and I'll-"

"We found Draco Malfoy," she shouted suddenly.

"What…you found…Malfoy …but how…where…"

"Tonks got a tip and…and I don't know, I somehow had to go with her."

"You could have been killed! How many people were there with him, you…you…stupid girl !"

"He had Ginny!" she interrupted.

Silence…complete and utter silence…

Ron fell to his knees, eyes wide as saucers, unable to speak, unable to think… "He had Ginny" he managed to say, as his voice began to fail him, "He took her?" Hermione just nodded her head. "He killed her…that little bastard killed Ginny."

Anger. Fury. Agony. Pain. Hatred. All these emotions crashed down on Ronald Weasley. "He killed her… he killed…"

But Hermione was shaking her head.

"What are you shaking your head at? If he didn't kill her, then who did?" he shouted suddenly.

"Who killed her?"

"He didn't kill her," Hermione said slowly. "Ron, Ginny's alive."

At this very moment- for Ronald Weasley anyway- time itself stopped. The universe had stopped expanding; the earth stopped circling the sun.

The only thing that existed in his mind was a single word "alive."

_Alive…she's alive…she's not dead…she's alive…_

And then time moved on again.

"When ?"

"Two weeks ago…"

At that very moment something clicked in Ron's brain. He pulled Hermione onto her feet shook her vigorously and threw her towards a set of drawers.

"You stupid git, how dare you didn´t tell me straight away, how dare you" he shouted at the girl lying on the floor, bleeding from a nasty cut on her forehead. He drew his wand and wanted to cast every dreadful curse on her he knew, but just managed to restrain himself.

"How dare you!" he shouted again, towering over her, and was out through the door within seconds.

Minutes later, he came crashing through the door of Harry's room, who just barely avoided stunning his best friend.

"Ron, for God's sake, I nearly stunned you!" he shouted, "What is…"

The look on Ron's face instantly silenced him. He just stood there, and obviously tried to say something, but no words escaped his mouth.

"Ron? Ron, what happened?" Ron continued to stand there, speechless. "Ron! What is it?"

"They…they…found her…they found her…"Ron stammered, "they found her…"

"What? Found whom?"

"Tonks and Hermione, they found… found… Ginny"

Harry just stared at him. He heard him say it… say the words he hoped he would hear, or even say himself for the past two years, the words that would end his trauma, when he could finally be united with the love of his life and mourn her properly…

"Draco… he took her… he held her captive, he…"

"Draco killed her," Harry said with a calm voice, but the air around him was sizzling with energy. "He killed her"

"No, Harry, you don't understand. He kept her alive. She… she's alive…Harry, Ginny is alive…she's at St. Mungo's…she's alive."

The next thing Ron felt was the pull of them apparating out of the Phoenix Headquarters, despite the most powerful anti-apparating charms in the entire wizarding world. Seconds later they were standing outside a hospital room, surrounded by all the other Weasleys and Hermione, who had somehow managed to get to the hospital even faster than they did.

Everyone just stared at him, they could feel the power radiating off his body. Only Hermione dared approach him, and she started to talk to him in a very low voice. Whatever she said to him had the desired effect; within a few minute he was visibly calmer.

He insisted that Ron go in first, he needed more time to compose himself.

The time Harry spent waiting outside seemed like both the longest and shortest of his entire life. After about 20 minutes that felt more like 20 years or 20 seconds, Ron appeared, white-faced and awash in tears.

Harry took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Their eyes met…nobody spoke. Ginny was propped up against the headboard, hugging her knees, not moving. Harry's feet seemed rooted to the ground.

And then, after what seemed an eternity, she lowered her eyes and started to cry. A heartbeat later they were in each others arms, both crying, both paralyzed with joy, both unable to grasp what had just happened.

His heart, which had been nothing more than a huge heavy stone in his chest, a stone weighing a ton, suddenly felt light and free.

But suddenly she started to struggling, fighting against his embrace until she managed to finally push him away.

"Ginny…Ginny, why…what" he stammered, confused.

"You can't touch me," she managed to say, trembling, crying. "You can't touch me, I'm dirty, I'm filthy, I'm tainted…"she now yelled at him, "He…he…tainted me…he…"

This time the "click" occurred in Harry Potter's brain, the words of the woman he loved more than his life woke something deep inside him, a power that he (and nobody else) didn't know he possessed. His eyes were not green anymore but white, gleaming white, and he was staring at her, causing her to scream in terror. Hearing her scream, the others rushed into the room and stopped dead in their tracks. Harry was surrounded by a nearly unbearable bright light; his hand was stretched out towards Ginny.

"He hurt you, he beat you," he said with a voice that wasn´t his own. "He abused you, he raped you…he will die." Ron rushed over to him and tried to pull him away from his sister, but as soon as he touched Harry he felt the effect of what only could be a portkey.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Mr. Malfoy, you are not very cooperative" Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic said and shook his head.

"Why should I be? There is nothing to talk about," Draco replied pulling at the restraints holding him in the chair standing in the middle of a maximum security cell deep below the ministry of magic.

"On the contrary, I believe that there are still followers of the…He-who-must-not-be-named hiding, and you will help us to locate them."

"Cowards," Draco spat back. "He is dead and you still don't dare to speak his name." He laughed.

"Mr Malfoy, this is-" The minister's words were cut off as a blinding white light filled the cell.

Two figures appeared right in front of Malfoy, one of them instantly drawing his wand, pointing it directly at the prisoner's heart. All sorts of spells and curses were thrown at them, but they all were repelled by a clearly visible shield. And then… Draco started to laugh. Hysterically. He laughed and jumped in his chair.

"Potter… Saint Potter, and the Weasel, finally, finally…we meet again!" he shouted, still laughing.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, what is the meaning of this?" The Minister was furious; not only had these two boys penetrated this cell which was supposed to be absolutely secure, but also they threatened a prisoner that he deemed invaluable. "And anyway, how did you get in here, this is…" Harry turned around and looked him, his eyes still gleaming white.

"I want justice, justice for Ginny Weasley" he said in a very calm voice that silenced everybody in the cell. Except…

"Justice... I want justice…for the Weasley whore…because he had her and I didn't" Draco's mocking voice cut through the silence.

"You thought that you had won, didn't you, you thought that killing my master would end it all, didn't you? You killed the dark lord, but I killed you, didn't I…" and he laughed again. "I took what you cherished most, the woman you loved, and your sister, and you never knew, you never even suspected me, did you? And all theses years she was with me, and I had her… every day… I played with her. She was a good toy… she licked my boots, she called me master…and…she liked it."

"Crucio." The spell was cast with such force that it blew the heavy chair right across the cell, leaving Malfoy bloody and screaming.

"She. Is. No. Whore," Harry Potter said and approached his former fellow student, "Never. Ever. Imply. That. Again." And his voice made everybody shiver with fright.

"Whore."

"Crucio."

"Whore."

"CRUCIO!"

"Whore!"

"Harry…Harry…HARRY!" He turned around. He heard somebody call his name. He knew this voice. He knew who this was.

"Ron ?"

"Harry… Harry… you'll kill him…you must stop… please…"

"But he deserves to die. He hurt Ginny, he hurt her, I promised I would take care of her, and he…he…" Harry said with a low childlike voice and his eyes were back to their normal green, "I must…I promised."

"She's a whore, she's a dirty whore…kill me. Come on, Potter…kill me. Coward… kill me!" Draco was conscious again and wouldn't stop shouting.

"Kill me…kill me…they can lock me away but I'll get out and I'll come after you and I'll get her again, or maybe she'll come with me, she liked what we did, yes, she liked it !"

Harry turned around and looked at Draco. Yes, he wanted to kill that monster, but what would have been the result? He would have been no better than Voldemort himself. Draco had stopped shouting and just waited for the killing curse, but it never came.

Suddenly Harry turned away and walked across the room where the Minister of magic was standing.

"Sir, please take my wand, I… I… I am sorry; I just… lost it somehow…" The Minister took it with a surprised look on his face. "I know that I have broken several laws, I will accept every sentence, but please let Ron go, he had nothing to do with it, he stood too close to me when I….well…came here, and…"

"No way, mate," Ron interrupted him, "no way you are going to take all the blame, I would have done it, I would have killed him, I…"

"Ron…shut up!" Harry screamed at him. "Shut up, just shut up! You have no idea what is going to happen to you, maybe years in prison. You have to go back to your family; you have to go back to Hermione; she wouldn't survive if you were gone!"

"But Harry, I…"

"Ron," Harry said with a very calm voice now, and put both hands on his friend's shoulders. "Ron… she can live without me… but she can't live without you!"

"And Ginny" Ron replied between sobs, "what about Ginny?"

"Ginny is stronger that all of us; she survived two years of hell. She'll survive, she'll get over me"

"Sir" he turned around to face the minister, "Sir, I will accept any sentence if you let Ron go."

"And if I just could say goodbye to Ginny…" he added with a very tiny voice.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you do so" he heard the Minister reply and tears started to roll down his cheeks.

"The sentence will be life imprisonment in Azkaban for-"

"What!" Ron shouted. "You can't do this; he killed Voldemort, he saved all our lives, he… he…"

"…for Draco Malfoy," Scrimgeour finished and his fury was still visible all over his face.

"Oh… and what about Harry ?"

"Mr. Harry Potter has indeed broken several laws, and has used an unforgivable curse against an unarmed prisoner of our Ministry. I suppose you are aware of the consequences."

"Just let me talk to Ginny once, you can lock me away then," Harry answered.

He was tired; he just wanted to lie down and sleep. Two years of constant fear and hope and disappointment and yet more hope had drained him physically and emotionally.

"I'm afraid I can not let you do so" Scrimgeour said again, "your sentence is as follows: you shall…"

Harry didn't even bother to listen, his head was spinning and he just wanted this all to end.

"Forgive me my heart, I will always love you," he murmured. "Just take me away and lock me up," he added with as much force he could muster. The cell was silent. Everybody looked at him. He lifted his head and looked straight into the Ministers face. The fury had been replaced by a soft smile.

"I know, Minister, finally you can get rid of me, and you didn't even have go to any trouble."

Scrimgeour's smile faded a little, and a little touch of annoyance was seen, but the smile returned very soon.

"Mr. Potter, did you hear what I have sentenced you to?"

"…whatever…"

"In order to make this sentence legally applicable, you have to hear and understand it!"

"Then let me hear it again," came the weak reply.

"Harry Potter, I sentence you to imprisonment in this cell right here. Your sentence will begin right now. Thereafter you shall be released; no records will be kept of this sentence. The duration of your imprisonment shall be one-"

"One year… one year" Harry thought. "One year, I might have a chance to see Ginny then, I might…"

"-second."

"One second?" Harry said. "One second, that is… ONE SECOND?"

"Oh," the Minister said, and now he was really smiling. "It seems like your time in prison is over!"

"But…but…why…how ?"

"Mr. Potter" the Minister said, "Mr. Potter, after all you did for the wizarding world, do you really think this little incident would get you into Azkaban?"

"I thought you all wanted to get rid of me!"

"We were jealous, Mr. Potter. Yes, plain jealous that a young boy would take all the glory, but we never realized what price you and your friends paid, and all of us- including myself- were more concerned with our image than the well-being of the people out there!" The old man lowered his eyes with shame. He handed Harry back his wand and looked at him with a sad face.

"Harry, I don't even want to come up with any kind of excuses, because nothing I could say would change anything that happened in the past, but I what I can do is promise that we will accept our responsibilities and do what ever we can to rebuild our world!"

"And," he added, "We will make sure that the wizarding world will know what you have done and how much we owe you!"

"Thank you, sir," Harry mumbled, still in a state of slight shock.

"Come on Harry, we have to go." Ron gently took his arm and led him towards the cell door which sprang open.

"Oh, and Mr. Potter!" they heard Scrimgeour call after them. "Personally, I would have blasted that bastard to bits!"


End file.
